The thought-provoking show will also feature a recreation of the infamous “Obedience experiment” by Stanley Milgram in which subjects were persuaded to deliver apparently lethal electric shocks to another human being simply because they were told to by a man in a white coat.

I maintained my composure reviewing Mr Beyer’s article by recalling that 89% of journalism must be appreciated for its comedy value, and Mr Beyer’s bitter (and evidently marginally senile) ranting certainly paid in this respect.

As with most people intimidated by the prospect of thinking outside the box, he’s missed the point of the show entirely. I’m sure that Mr Brown’s intention was to reveal how easily we can be influenced without being consciously aware of it; a practise that is employed daily, world over. Politics, marketing, consumption/consumerism… The list of fields that are churning out subtle control methods, employed in every media, is endless. Personally I must admit I’m terribly grateful for being de-blinkered in this way and will endeavor to ensure that my opinions are objective, and not born from a sophisticated anchoring device!

The dreadful irony is that there are individuals who will read Mr Beyer’s hopelessly misdirected article and form a negative opinion of Mr Brown’s craft, before witnessing it for themselves and drawing an objective conclusion. However, in this completing this act they will simply confirm Mr Brown’s point regarding human fallibility and predictability, so I am satisfied that his smug overtones will be perfectly justified!

I’m sure that Mr Brown’s intention was to reveal how easily we can be influenced without being consciously aware of it; a practise that is employed daily, world over. Politics, marketing, consumption/consumerism… The list of fields that are churning out subtle control methods, employed in every media, is endless.

You could probably add religion to that list too. Can anybody dig out what Beyer has had to say about Brown’s previous programs, especially “Messiah”.

I’ve been fascinated by the Milgram experiment ever since learning about it on a psychology course years ago, and tried to stay on my guard against the things you can be persuaded to do by quasi-mystical ‘experts’ in professional costume (e.g. Gulf Wars…..)

Wonder if Derren Brown wants to do something on the bollocks otherwise intelligent folk can be talked into by religious leaders – but then nobody would end up wrecking someone else’s life just because some wierd crossdressing bloke said his invisible friend had demanded it, would they?

Just watched the Heist programme. Like Space Cadets before it, there was a mention of independent psych experts. I’m really not sure that this is enough, especially when these people are presumably on the payroll. Was any form of ethical approval obtained? If so, from whom.

I thought it was a great experiment. I guess it was good TV. Let me give you a thought experiment. Imagine that your partner/daughter/father was the ‘subject’ who, confronted by cameral crew and staff at the end, while running away with money and a fake gun, then realise how stupid they have been; the impending disgrace, the thrown away life, the shame they would anticipate, having been caught. would you want that to happen to someone who wasn’t an anonymous person on the telly?

Be honest. You wouldn’t. However, watching voyeristically as we do, we are all victims of a wider Milgram Experiment: we condone the harsh and brutal treatment of these people, because it is TV. It’s not us that have been publically humiliated. The “oh what a positive experience” stuff at the end is just the remnants of brain washing.

I just think that showing them “do it!”, then showing how would be more responsible. YOu can see why four British Muslims might have been persuaded to carry bombs onto London Transport though.